Ka Vaughne Brown helping underserved youth excel

As a child growing up in Seaview Gardens, St Andrew, where financial hardships were a daily reality, Ka Vaughne Brown once believed that his future held little promise.

But after giving his life to God, everything changed. Now, Brown is making a difference by teaching students with hearing difficulties, determined to give them the hope and opportunities he once thought were beyond his reach.

"Growing up was tough. There were days I couldn't even go to school because my mom, working as a domestic helper, just didn't have the money. And, on top of that, I didn't have a father figure to teach me how to be a man, so I had many challenges," Brown explained. He said that while attending Jamaica College, he lacked focus and often skipped classes and neglected his studies. As a result, when he graduated high school with just three CXC subjects, he had no clear sense of what to do next. But everything changed in 2018.

"My turning point was really when I got baptised, because that's when I finally started to see myself the way God saw me," the 24-year-old said. "That was when I realised I needed to change, and that gave me the motivation to go back to school and aim for higher, because I didn't want to live a 'wasteman' life, as they say. I wanted better for myself."

So, in 2019, Brown enrolled at Quality Academics to resit his CXC mathematics and English exams, passing both. Then, he completed Levels 1 to 3 in general construction at HEART College of Construction Services. Currently, he is in his third year of studies at the University of Technology, pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree in construction technology, a programme he is able to undertake on a full scholarship.

Then, in January, after responding to a job advertisement on social media, Brown began teaching at Lister Mair/Gilby High School for the Deaf as a building technology instructor. He primarily teaches woodwork to students age 15 to 19.

"I chose this because I saw it as an avenue to help the disadvantaged and the underprivileged, coming from that background myself. So now I'm able to give a helping hand in a sense," Brown told THE STAR. In order to teach his students, he had to learn sign language, which he mastered in six months. But there are some signs that he's still learning to perfect.

"I really enjoy teaching because it's so rewarding. Watching them put together a jewellery box or a bag shelf, it really gives me a great deal of fulfilment, because I'm contributing to the education of a group of people who are often overlooked," Brown said, adding that his job has forced him to be more creative and find unique ways to help all his students.

"Some of my students are not just hearing impaired, but they have mental challenges, too. So I have to find other ways to teach them and help them learn the material," Brown explained.